Halo 2 was an excellent game.

Firstly I'd like to say that I waited a long time to make this thread. For the hype to die off and for people's opinions to solidify.
Secondly, I don't consider myself any type of fanboy. While I only own a Wii and Xbox 360, I respect and love every console and keep an open mind to all games and people's opinions.

But my point is, when Halo 2 was released and the years following it, it received pretty much the same amount of bashing as it did praise. Yes, many of the haters hadn't even played the game and were just blind fanboys doing their job in system wars, but there were also legitimate complaints with the game as well.

The storyline and single player seemed to be the main concern behind Halo 2, which I would love to discuss with you guys now that we've had some time to think and see the impact the game has had on the genre and console gaming as a whole. I believe that the game delivered on the storyline.

It gave us a strong and informative view on the enemy, the Covenant, and their religious views as a species and how holy the Halo rings were to their existence. Before Halo 2, they were just seen as a generic alien enemy found in most sci fi stories. Playing as the Arbiter may have been a drag for some, but I loved the camoflauge ability which allowed for an element of stealth gameplay (try playing it on Legendary).

Also, Bungie tuned the game and balanced it very well. As a hardcore fan of the franchise, I took notice of certain changes such as no respawns on Legendary co-op so you couldn't just hide while your partner respawned. They also added obvious and very welcome gameplay changes such as double wielding and vehicle damage + hijacking which helped keep the game fresh.

It just seems like people dismiss the storyline and campaign of Halo 2 as garbage when in fact, it was better than most games out at that time. There were plenty of memorable moments. The mission fighting the Heretics (and cutting down the pillar and falling thousands of feet), Alpha Halo (and going under water to attack the Covenant), and teaming up Sargeant Johnson with the Arbiter were memorable missions.

Now, to address one of the largest complaints, the cliffhanger. At the time I was very angered by the way they concluded the game, but it really wasn't a terrible ending in retrospect. Firstly, it confirmed a sequel to the game. Secondly, it ended with a somewhat decent boss fight (I, for one, hated Tartarus and was happy to finally fight him). But at the end of the day, some of the best forms of media use cliffhangers to increase suspense or excitement (LOST season 5 finale is a recent example), which worked perfectly for the Halo franchise.

And that's my rant on how Halo 2 did not receive enough, if any, recognition for its campaign.

I don't even need to bring up how innovative the multiplayer was.

Halo 2 was great up until the ending. That sure was the worst ending I've ever experienced in a game. It just............ended. The game just felt like it took a huge drop at the end, and then the credits rolled.

Good fun up until then though.

Halo one was better. :P

Halo 2 is a great game and I really dig the story until the ending but I found the weapons to be pretty unbalanced.

meh, it was alright

Ok... how does this relate to System wars? :?

Ok... how does this relate to System wars? :?

boredy-Mcbored

Halo2 is the worst in the series imo.

Halo 2... Great game, Horrible Ending.

I just didn't like all the Corridor fighting in Halo 2. Every room I went into felt the same. Also the enemy AI had troubles with objects. I could always go around a pillar and hit them in the back of the head.mistablair

.....

.....

You a fan of Halo 1?

Too bad halo 3 was not as good as Halo 2. RM84x

I didn't like Halo 2 very much in retrospect. I just didn't like the direction it went, speaking of singleplayer. The multiplayer however, undeniably, was increbile and much better than the horribly unbalanced multiplayer in CE. But in terms of SP, I really didn't like it. First off, I am a big suspension of disbelief kinda guy. And having the covenant speak english pretty much destroyed any suspension of disbelief for me. And, before you ask, yes, I would have much rather read text for all of the cutscnenes than to break the ultra-important SOD. And another thing, I felt the acting was overdone in Halo 2. It all felt overdramatic. Almost as if they tried to hard to make MC iconic instead of making hum a human. Also, for some reason, the combat felt... how do I put this... streamlined... watered down? Perhaps it was the sharp increase in aim-assist, or perhaps the feel was a result of working with a new engine; but I didn't like the combat much at all. Also, I am quite surprised when I hear people praise the level design in Halo 2. Really? I personally thought the levels were boring and forgettable. Sure, they weren't repetative like CE's levels were; but I would rather have repetative and memorable over diverse and forgetable. And perhaps I felt too confined by Halo 2's noticably smaller levels. I dunno. I replayed Halo CE's SP again yesterday and was surprised by how much fun I was having. I was so used to playing Halo 3, the original felt like totally a different game.

Story: Awesome.
Multiplayer: Awesome.
Single-Player: ...eh.

Not saying that the SP was bad, it's just that to me, the first had a lot more replayability in that field.

Meh, not the best in the series. Halo 1 and Halo 3 were both WAY better.

[QUOTE="mistablair"]I just didn't like all the Corridor fighting in Halo 2. Every room I went into felt the same. Also the enemy AI had troubles with objects. I could always go around a pillar and hit them in the back of the head.g805ge

.....

.....

You a fan of Halo 1?

Halo2 is the worst in the series imo.

kozzy1234

the maps were so awesome. But the weapons online were totally unbalanced. You started off with a useless gun, the swords were absurd, you flew half way across the map! and the alien hand gun just destroyed everyone, i mean, all people did was run around with that thing charged, and all they had to do was duel weild it with anything because if you got hit by the handgun your sheild went all the way down instantly. I wish that halo threes weapons ect. could combine with hd versions of the halo 2 maps ( i didnt really like the remakes they did in halo 3)

the maps were so awesome. But the weapons online were totally unbalanced. You started off with a useless gun, the swords were absurd, you flew half way across the map! and the alien hand gun just destroyed everyone, i mean, all people did was run around with that thing charged, and all they had to do was duel weild it with anything because if you got hit by the handgun your sheild went all the way down instantly. I wish that halo threes weapons ect. could combine with hd versions of the halo 2 maps ( i didnt really like the remakes they did in halo 3)

VendettaRed07

Halo 2 is a great game, with a bad ending. But I blame Microsoft for not giving Bungie the time to finish what they started. There was another three levels planned for the end of the game, and there were levels cut because MS wouldn't give Bungie the time.

The multiplayer was hell of fun (until everyone started using the noob combo...dammit).

I didn't like Halo 2 very much in retrospect. I just didn't like the direction it went, speaking of singleplayer. The multiplayer however, undeniably, was increbile and much better than the horribly unbalanced multiplayer in CE. But in terms of SP, I really didn't like it. First off, I am a big suspension of disbelief kinda guy. And having the covenant speak english pretty much destroyed any suspension of disbelief for me. And, before you ask, yes, I would have much rather read text for all of the cutscnenes than to break the ultra-important SOD. And another thing, I felt the acting was overdone in Halo 2. It all felt overdramatic. Almost as if they tried to hard to make MC iconic instead of making hum a human. Also, for some reason, the combat felt... how do I put this... streamlined... watered down? Perhaps it was the sharp increase in aim-assist, or perhaps the feel was a result of working with a new engine; but I didn't like the combat much at all. Also, I am quite surprised when I hear people praise the level design in Halo 2. Really? I personally thought the levels were boring and forgettable. Sure, they weren't repetative like CE's levels were; but I would rather have repetative and memorable over diverse and forgetable. And perhaps I felt too confined by Halo 2's noticably smaller levels. I dunno. I replayed Halo CE's SP again yesterday and was surprised by how much fun I was having. I was so used to playing Halo 3, the original felt like totally a different game.

organic_machine

Hmmm... Halo 2 balanced and Halo 1 unbalanced...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMSYoPC5vyE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgeYC3c-HGI&feature=related

BS!

People play the multi-player to this day which is amazing for a console game

Great game yes, but terrible ending.

I have no qualms with Halo 2's story. Although, I think the pacing was a little off and might have served better as a novel instead of a game since it really did feel more like backstory if anything.

But what I don't like about the campaign were the levels. Mombasa is always kind of cool, the bit in Delta Halo wasn't bad, and the one battle between the brutes, elites and hunters with Blow Me Away going on in the background (in an otherwise mediocre level) were all that I enjoyed. If I were to pop in Halo 2 today, there's no level I'd specifically go to and say "Oh yeah, I loved this level!". Over half the levels in Halo: CE I could replay and have some fun with them, notably AotCR. Cairo Station was unimpressive and I thought they could have opened Halo 2 a little faster. The Arbiter levels are generally unlikable. Master Chief finished his bit with a dull backtracking level (Two Betrayals was bloody amazing, despite its repetitive nature) in which I always had no ammo in the guns I liked the most. The final boss battle was unnecessary, especially in a shooter like Halo. The experience was far below what us Halo fans had done in the past... escaping the Pillar of Autumn on a warthog with everything blowing up around you.

halo 2 is easily my favorite game of all time. i have played over 500+ plus hours for sure. my favorite online game. ill miss that game :cry:

I thought it was way better than the first Halo. It actually had varied level design and proper set pieces. That and the addition of the Arbiter narrative added some much needed depth to the plot and character development. But even with all that, the game itself failed to impress me... even after me giving it several chances to impress me. Halo 2 (as well as CE and 3) has just never done anything for me. I recognize that it is a well made game but I just cannot like it... its just so bland and boring. Its like a Michael Bay movie, all flash and no substance.

I thought it was way better than the first Halo. It actually had varied level design and proper set pieces. That and the addition of the Arbiter narrative added some much needed depth to the plot and character development. But even with all that, the game itself failed to impress me... even after me giving it several chances to impress me. Halo 2 (as well as CE and 3) has just never done anything for me. I recognize that it is a well made game but I just cannot like it... its just so bland and boring. Its like a Michael Bay movie, all flash and no substance.

foxhound_fox

[QUOTE="RM84x"]Too bad halo 3 was not as good as Halo 2. Trinexxx

I'm one of the few that liked Halo 2's story more than the first. The introduction of the Arbiter and his journey that runs parallel, but at the opposite pole of the Master Chief's.... that and the insight into the Covenant culture was fascinating.

Yes I loved both the campaign and online multiplayer. Even though Halo 2 had a horrible ending, I still found its story a lot better than Halo 3, thanks to the introduction of The Arbiter, who was far more interesting than Master Chief and we also got to see the the war from the Covenants point of view instead of the humans.

ugh Disagree on so many things. What halo 2 did show was potential for an improved halo game but it never did the job. The level design was better, and the set pieces were totally epic in concept, but they were just so FAIL in execution. For instance the boss fights with the Prophet and Tartarus were just so bland and uninteresting Than there is the plot. While Combat Evolved lacked the depth, it was subtle and had the enigmatic feel for an awesome intro to the halo universe. halo 2 tried to crank it up by adding some depth to the franchise, and the bungie rush job showed up again. The Narrative just wasn't as strong, the arbiter sequences never really lived up to there potential in terms of narrative and the 2 sequences weren't enough of a change up in gameplay. SO i disagree, Halo 2 did basic design ideas better than CE, and tried to do more, but the execution was just not there for the campaign. Halo 2s Sp was solid on its best day. SO i disagree with a few of your comments on where it improved, if anything it never improved it failed to deliver on what could have been an improvement. jg4xchamp

[QUOTE="jg4xchamp"] ugh Disagree on so many things. What halo 2 did show was potential for an improved halo game but it never did the job. The level design was better, and the set pieces were totally epic in concept, but they were just so FAIL in execution. For instance the boss fights with the Prophet and Tartarus were just so bland and uninteresting Than there is the plot. While Combat Evolved lacked the depth, it was subtle and had the enigmatic feel for an awesome intro to the halo universe. halo 2 tried to crank it up by adding some depth to the franchise, and the bungie rush job showed up again. The Narrative just wasn't as strong, the arbiter sequences never really lived up to there potential in terms of narrative and the 2 sequences weren't enough of a change up in gameplay. SO i disagree, Halo 2 did basic design ideas better than CE, and tried to do more, but the execution was just not there for the campaign. Halo 2s Sp was solid on its best day. SO i disagree with a few of your comments on where it improved, if anything it never improved it failed to deliver on what could have been an improvement. foxhound_fox

which is just shocking to be honest :P, Halo 2 was rushed and that ultimately hurt them. The franchise went more MP oriented if anything after that game.
although i do like that a much smaller team is working on ODST, should make for a more fun experience with that game( 20 bucks says you still hate it though :P)

jg4xchamp

I didn't like Halo 2 very much in retrospect. I just didn't like the direction it went, speaking of singleplayer. The multiplayer however, undeniably, was increbile and much better than the horribly unbalanced multiplayer in CE. But in terms of SP, I really didn't like it. First off, I am a big suspension of disbelief kinda guy. And having the covenant speak english pretty much destroyed any suspension of disbelief for me. And, before you ask, yes, I would have much rather read text for all of the cutscnenes than to break the ultra-important SOD. And another thing, I felt the acting was overdone in Halo 2. It all felt overdramatic. Almost as if they tried to hard to make MC iconic instead of making hum a human. Also, for some reason, the combat felt... how do I put this... streamlined... watered down? Perhaps it was the sharp increase in aim-assist, or perhaps the feel was a result of working with a new engine; but I didn't like the combat much at all. Also, I am quite surprised when I hear people praise the level design in Halo 2. Really? I personally thought the levels were boring and forgettable. Sure, they weren't repetative like CE's levels were; but I would rather have repetative and memorable over diverse and forgetable. And perhaps I felt too confined by Halo 2's noticably smaller levels. I dunno. I replayed Halo CE's SP again yesterday and was surprised by how much fun I was having. I was so used to playing Halo 3, the original felt like totally a different game.

organic_machine

First off, I'm a hardcore Halo fan.

Second off, I can not find any enjoyment out of the Halo 2 singleplayer, minus of a few of the Earth missions. I just didn't find any fun, and the maps were not generally open like they were in the original Halo -- Halo 3 addressed most problems, and I absolutely love both the single player and multiplayer of the third installment. I can play through the whole campaign anytime, it would not annoy me. With Halo 2, can't do it.

I wish they just waited till the 360 to do Halo 2 so it could've been more with their original vision -- which was an epic vision, at that. But, oh well, we're getting a taste of that vision back with ODST and, hopefully, with Reach (since Reach will generally be an all urban battle, in theory).

Too bad halo 3 was not as good as Halo 2. RM84x

Youre a known Sony fanboy, Of course you would say that :lol: Fanboys :roll:

Don't see the appeal, to be honest. Halo was good, not great. Halo 2 was pretty mediocre.